01/28/2026
Hey, I’m Carly! The face behind the camera and this platform.
I’m a photographer.
A musician.
A forest school teacher.
And a mother.
My work is rooted in connection.. to art, to music, to the land, and to people. I use photography and storytelling to reflect humanity back to itself. I share music to build bridges. I teach children about natural resources and conservation so they grow up understanding stewardship, community, and their own power to think critically and choose for themselves.
I was told these weren’t “real” careers. That they wouldn’t pay the bills. That I should choose something safer and quieter. I didn’t listen and I’m grateful every day that I didn’t. Because I know in my bones that this is what I’m meant to do.
I love my work. I love being a mother. I love my son more than anything. I love my community and my neighbors.
And that’s exactly why I refuse to stay silent.
Because while we’re told to mind our own business, families are being torn apart. Hardworking people parents, artists, educators, caregivers are being taken from their homes. Public lands and animal sanctuaries are being handed over for profit and destruction. And people are being targeted, jailed, and killed simply because of the color of their skin.
This isn’t abstract. This is happening to real people. To good, kind, creative, empathetic humans who deserve safety, dignity, and a future.
Silence is complicity. Comfort is not neutrality.
We have a responsibility to speak up, to protect our communities, and to demand better from the systems meant to serve us.
Silence is not neutral.
Looking away is a choice.
Call your representatives.
Email them.
Show up.
Vote.
Protect your neighbors.
Defend the land.
We can — and must — do better.
📸 Sarah McGinnis Photography , edited by me
